Handheld device and method for measuring quality of optical link

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a handheld device and method for measuring the quality of an optical link, which are capable of simultaneously measuring the strength of an optical signal and the quality of an optical link at an optical network terminal in a Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network. A presented handheld device for measuring a quality of an optical link includes an optical signal input port for receiving an optical signal, an optical power measurement unit for measuring a power of the optical signal, an output unit for outputting one or more of a measured power value of the optical signal and results of quality measurement of an optical link, based on interworking with an optical network terminal, and a control unit for storing the measured power value of the optical signal and performing a process for quality measurement of the optical link.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A handheld device for measuring a quality of an optical link, comprising:
 an optical signal input port for receiving an optical signal; 
 an optical power measurement unit for measuring a power of the optical signal; 
 an output unit for outputting one or more of a measured power value of the optical signal and results of quality measurement of an optical link, based on interworking with an optical network terminal; and 
 a control unit for storing the measured power value of the optical signal and performing a process for quality measurement of the optical link. 
 
     
     
       2. The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the optical signal input port is connected to an optical fiber connector of an optical link that is desired to be measured. 
     
     
       3. The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the measured power value of the optical signal includes a wavelength and a strength of the corresponding optical signal. 
     
     
       4. The handheld device of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to, when the optical network terminal is initialized and the control unit is connected to the optical network terminal, initiate the process for quality measurement of the optical link. 
     
     
       5. The handheld device of  claim 4 , wherein the control unit obtains resultant values for upstream/downstream bandwidth and latency of the optical link as the results of quality measurement of the optical link. 
     
     
       6. The handheld device of  claim 5 , further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) module unit for acquiring location information of the handheld device for measuring the quality of the optical link,
 wherein the location information is stored, together with the measured power value of the optical signal and the results of quality measurement of the optical link, in the control unit. 
 
     
     
       7. The handheld device of  claim 6 , further comprising a long-range communication unit,
 wherein the control unit transmits the stored power value of the optical signal and the results of quality management of the optical link to a service subscriber or a quality management server through the long-range communication unit. 
 
     
     
       8. The handheld device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an optical signal output port for providing the optical signal to the optical network terminal; and 
 a coupler for branching the optical signal, input to the optical signal input port, into the optical power measurement unit and the optical signal output port. 
 
     
     
       9. A handheld device for measuring a quality of an optical link, comprising:
 an optical signal input port for receiving an optical signal; 
 an optical power measurement unit for measuring a power of the optical signal; and 
 a control unit for transmitting a measured power value of the optical signal to a mobile device, and transmitting results of quality measurement of an optical link based on interworking with the optical network terminal to the mobile device. 
 
     
     
       10. The handheld device of  claim 9 , wherein the control unit directs an optical connector to be released from the optical signal input port and to be connected to the optical network terminal in compliance with a quality measurement command from the mobile device. 
     
     
       11. The handheld device of  claim 10 , wherein the control unit is configured to, when the optical connector is connected to the optical network terminal and then the control unit is connected to the optical network terminal, initiate a process for quality measurement of the optical link. 
     
     
       12. The handheld device of  claim 11 , wherein the control unit obtains resultant values for upstream/downstream bandwidth and latency of the optical link as the results of quality measurement of the optical link. 
     
     
       13. The handheld device of  claim 9 , wherein the mobile device displays the power value of the received optical signal and the results of quality measurement of the optical link on a screen. 
     
     
       14. The handheld device of  claim 13 , wherein the mobile device displays location information, together with the power value of the received optical signal and the results of quality measurement of the optical link, on the screen. 
     
     
       15. The handheld device of  claim 13 , wherein the mobile device transmits the power value of the received optical signal and the results of quality measurement of the optical link to a service subscriber or a quality management server. 
     
     
       16. The handheld device of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 an optical signal output port for providing the optical signal to the optical network terminal; and 
 a coupler for branching the optical signal, input to the optical signal input port, into the optical power measurement unit and the optical signal output port. 
 
     
     
       17. A method for measuring a quality of an optical link, comprising:
 measuring, by a handheld optical link quality measuring device, a power of an optical signal, via a connection to an optical link that is desired to be measured; 
 measuring, by the handheld optical link quality measuring device, upstream/downstream speed and latency of the optical link, via a connection to an optical network terminal; and 
 analyzing, by the handheld optical link quality measuring device, the upstream/downstream speed and latency of the optical link, thus determining a performance of the optical link. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising, after determining the performance of the optical link:
 displaying, by the handheld optical link quality measuring device, the measured power value of the optical signal and the results of quality measurement of the optical link on a screen. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising, after determining the performance of the optical link:
 transmitting, by the handheld optical link quality measuring device, the measured power value of the optical signal and the results of quality measurement of the optical link to a service subscriber. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising, after determining the performance of the optical link:
 transmitting, by the handheld optical link quality measuring device, the measured power value of the optical signal and the results of quality measurement of the optical link, together with location information, to a management server of a service provider.